


Say What?

by Estrella3791



Category: Adventures in Odyssey
Genre: F/M, barrett is a jerk for this story, but not in reality, i love barrett, jay doesn't though, jay loves priscilla, what even is this, what is my life, why do i love adventures in odessey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 15:25:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11831553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estrella3791/pseuds/Estrella3791
Summary: Why on earth was he being so nice to her?





	Say What?

**Author's Note:**

> Am I happy with this story? Ha, no. Then why am I sending it out into the world, you ask? That’s a good question. The answer is that I’m looking for other Adventures in Odyssey fans, because I figure that if you’ve clicked on this story, you’re into the audio series. I personally love them, so this is kind of an experiment to see if there’s anybody out there who loves them, too.  
> Yes, I am a lousy writer, and yes, I am boring and immature and repetitive, but if you like the story or if you want to chat about AiO or if you want to tell me that I suck, let me know! I LOVE feedback.  
> Also, note: I know that this pairing is a little odd, but, to me, there’s got to be some reason for Jay and Barrett’s ridiculous rivalry. I know that there’s probably some logical reason, but I like to romanticize everything. Hence, this story.  
> It’s badly written and the ending is not done well and the plot... well, there is no plot, but I hope that you enjoy, all the same!  
> ~Star  
> XOXO

Jay took a pull at his milkshake and looked at Priscilla broodingly. At least, he _hoped _it was broodingly. It could very well have been glowering instead. Either way, the fact that she was engaged in earnest conversation with Barrett Jones was bothering him – a lot. He tried to take another dramatic pull at his drink, but all that he managed was a decidedly unimpressive slurp. He would never admit it to anyone – least of all _her _– but he’d had a crush on her for years. The fact that she preferred Barrett to him had rankled enough for him to start a rivalry which had lasted for years. And now they were all seventeen, and Priscilla had agreed to start dating Barrett.____

____It hurt. It hurt badly, and Jay couldn’t deny that fact, much as he wished to. And he wished to. He was _Jay Smouse _. Granted, he wasn’t exactly cruel, and, yes, he had given his heart to Jesus when he was fifteen, but he was still tough. Why was he this torn up over a girl? He watched her laugh at something which Barrett said, the way that she never laughed at his jokes. Why couldn’t it have been him? What did Barrett have that he lacked?___ _ _ _

______He’d asked Priscilla to go out with him. He’d spent the summer working up the courage to approach her, and had tried desperately to be very, very good. And, of course, she’d turned him down._ _ _ _ _ _

______It was him. It had to be him. There was something wrong with him, always had been, always would be. It didn’t matter how hard he tried, or how good he was, or how hard he worked. He was a failure, and always would be._ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Priscilla listened to the teacher droning on and tried not to let she blink. If she blinked, she would cry._ _ _ _ _ _

______Barrett had broken up with her._ _ _ _ _ _

______She didn’t need to ask why. The way he was flirting with Mandy Johnson told her everything she needed to know._ _ _ _ _ _

______OK, she did need to ask why._ _ _ _ _ _

______Why had he ended it? They’d been so happy – or at least she had. She’d loved the conversations, the movies, the dinners. He’d made her feel special and loved, really loved. She’d thought he loved her, she really had. Why had he ended it? Why?_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Jay couldn’t concentrate on his homework. Priscilla had looked completely heartbroken. _Barrett, you jerk! _He couldn’t believe that Barrett had broken up with her. Priscilla Peterson was the girl of his dreams, and Barrett had tossed her aside like some… He couldn’t think about it or he’d burst. He stood up and paced the floor a few times.___ _ _ _ _ _

________Why had Barrett done it? Hadn’t he been as smitten as Jay was with Priscilla? He’d asked her to be his girlfriend, he’d lavished attention on her, he’d talked with her for hours… was it all a ruse? Had he just been playing with her affections? If he had, Jay was going to go down to his house and _pound _him. Into the _dirt _._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He suddenly pushed his door open and hurried down the stairs. His parents were watching TV, and he decided not to bother them. Instead, he eased the door open and slipped out into the darkening night._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Priscilla was reading. Well, she was _trying _to read. And, to be completely honest, she was failing miserably. All she wanted to do was eat ice cream and watch _Phantom of the Opera _, but she’d done that three nights in a row already and she didn’t know if she could handle humming the theme song again tomorrow. She and Barrett had always watched _Phantom _together, and then had played duets of the songs. For that reason, she wasn’t so sure that getting the song stuck in her head _again _was a good idea._________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________So she tried once again to immerse herself in the adventures of Nancy Drew, even though she’d already read through the entire series five times when she was twelve. Reading about the teen detective somehow made her feel young and innocent again, and that’s what she needed just now. Nancy had just realized who was responsible for the theft when the doorbell rang._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sighing, she put her book aside and descended the stairs. Being interrupted when she was reading was one of her least favorite things. Thinking of least favorite things got her humming the favorite things song from _The Sound of Music _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________She opened the door, still immersed in her own world. She woke up to the real world quickly when she realized that it was Jay Smouse standing in the doorway._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“What do you want?” she asked in her coldest, most hostile voice. It was a bit harsh, she supposed, but she didn’t have the energy to try to put up with any of his ridiculousness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Jay was uncharacteristically bashful._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________He was standing meekly with his hands behind his back, and she could vaguely see the outline of something on the step behind him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Um… you… I’m…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Her curiosity was roused. Jay Smouse was stammering? What was the world coming to?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________She stepped back and held the door open, her actions apologizing for her harsh greeting earlier._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Do you want to come in?” she asked when he didn’t move. That seemed to shake him to life._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Oh, nononono. I just wanted to, you know, giveyouthis.” He reached down behind him, picked up a box, and held it out to her. She almost fell over in amazement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Why are you doing this, Jay?” she asked. Jay Smouse was never nice to anyone unless he expected something in return – or so she’d thought. When she saw him flinch as if the question had been a blow she had a sudden rush of mingled guilt and doubt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I just… you… look in the box.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________And then he was gone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Priscilla carried the box back into the house and shut the door, hardly aware of what she was doing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________So Jay… Jay was human. Wow. He got nervous and had limits. She was reflecting on these hitherto unknown qualities as she opened the box… and then she saw the contents and her mind went blank._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________There were books, movies, stuffed animals, chocolates… was that a video game? Her confusion mounted as she pulled out item after item – it was indeed a video game. And her favorite one, too - the original version of Mario Kart, the one that no one cared about anymore because all the other versions, and games, and things were being commercialized to within an inch of their extended warranty lives. Either way, her favorite video game (really, it was the only one she liked) was sitting there in front of her. She set it down next to the growing pile of stuff, which included five chocolate bars, two big packets of M &Ms, five DVDs including a special edition copy of _Beauty and the Beast _(which was, coincidentally, both her favorite Disney Princess movie and the only one she didn’t own) and the original _The Music Man _, both of which she’d been wanting for quite a while. In addition there were three romantic novels by her favorite author, and one of the softest teddy bears she’d ever touched. Needless to say, she was flabbergasted._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________Why had Jay done this? She wondered even as she slipped _Beauty and the Beast _into her laptop. What was his motive?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Halfway through the movie she ran out of reasons not to and called him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Hello? What do you want?” Jay answered, except he slurred half the words so it sounded like, “’lo? Whadda wan’?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Um… hi, Jay. Is this a bad time?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________She could almost hear him recognizing her voice and shaking himself out of whatever state he’d been in that had made him so lethargic that he hadn’t wanted to use proper English._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Priscilla! Hi! No, no. not a bad time at all. A good time, actually… I mean, now that I’m awake and everything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Priscilla felt a pang of guilt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“I woke you up? I’m so sorry, Jay!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Don’t worry about it,” Jay assured her. “It’s no big deal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Well, I mean...” she began, but Jay cut her off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“No, it’s really not a big deal. What did you need?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________There was something in his voice that really confused her, that she couldn’t quite identify, but that she really wanted to investigate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Why were you so nice to me?” she asked bluntly. (She’d had her heart broken and then sloppily mended with books and chocolate. She was in no mood to beat around the bush.)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Well... I... Um, I mean... That is...”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________Jay hemmed and hawed until she got fed up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________“Come on. Just spit it out! There’s obviously _something _wrong. Just tell me what it is!”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________“There’s nothing _wrong _,” Jay blurted out. “It’s just that I... I may possibly... Just maybe...”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________“Maybe _what _, Jay?” she snapped. It was mean, but it was late and she was tired.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Granted, that’s probably a good reason that she shouldn’t be on the phone, but whatever. It was too late now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Maybe I’m in love with you!” he shouted, exasperated._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________The line went quiet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Priscilla scrunched up her face and closed her eyes and opened them again and pinched herself and did everything in her power to remind herself that this was just some crazy, messed up dream._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Jay... Jay was in love with her? In _love _? Who even said that anymore? What was this?___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“You didn’t just say that,” she whispered. “Did you?” Jay was very quiet for a minute – so quiet that for a minute she was scared that he’d hung up. “Jay? Hello? Are you there?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“I’m here,” he mumbled, “and I’m sorry. You didn’t need – you didn’t need me to say that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Priscilla was quiet, and she thought._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________She thought of all the times that Jay had ridiculed her, and scorned her, and made her feel lower than the dirt. She thought of the many pranks he had pulled, the many insults he had hurled, the many wrongs he had done._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________And then she thought about all the other things he’d done, all the good and sweet things that he’d done that she’d never noticed until now. The encouraging notes that were from an anonymous source but which Emily had confirmed were in Jay’s handwriting. The ice creams that had already been paid for at Whit’s End. She reflected on the fact that Jay hadn’t teased her in years._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“No,” she said eventually, “I didn’t need that.” She let the line go quiet for a second, let Jay think that that was all she was going to say, let him writhe for a moment before she went on, “but I do want it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________She heard Jay sputtering on the other end of the line, and it made her smile. She listened to him coughing and gasping and awkwardly rambling, and it made her feel more than a little warm and fuzzy inside.  
By the time that she said, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Jay,” she knew that this was going to be a crazy and twisted and tangled up ride._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________She also knew that she was going to enjoy every second of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
